groundwork

/ˈɡraʊndwɜːk/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈɡraʊndwɜːrk/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈgrau̇nd-ˌwərk/ (ame, mw)

groundwork — noun

1. early effort and preparation that builds the base on which a later activity, pro

1.名詞C1
釋義

early effort and preparation that builds the base on which a later activity, project, or event can succeed

例句

Eliska spent two months laying the groundwork for the village clinic before the doctors arrived.

lay the groundwork for + [project noun]

Without the groundwork that earlier scientists did, today's vaccines could never have been made so quickly.

the groundwork (that) [someone] did — relative-clause pattern

同義詞
  • foundation

    more abstract; the lasting base of an idea or institution, not the prep work that built it

  • preparation

    broader and more general; can be a single act, while 'groundwork' implies sustained effort

  • spadework

    informal; emphasises the dull, unglamorous early effort

文法句型

lay/do the groundwork for [something]

用法筆記

Almost always uncountable and almost always introduced by 'lay' or 'do' (with 'for' marking the goal). Frequently appears in the passive: 'the groundwork was laid by…'.

常見錯誤

❌I did many groundworks for the project.
✅I did a lot of groundwork for the project.
💡uncountable; no plural form.
❌They laid the groundwork to the new policy.
✅They laid the groundwork for the new policy.
💡the linking preposition is 'for', not 'to'.

2. in construction, the first stage of a building project, when older structures, t

2.名詞C2
釋義

in construction, the first stage of a building project, when older structures, trees, and soil are cleared away and the land is prepared for new foundations

例句

The groundwork on the riverside plot took three weeks because of the thick tree roots.

the groundwork on + [site noun]

Sirin's team finished the groundwork before the heavy rain made the site unsafe for diggers.

finish the groundwork (before [event])

同義詞
  • site preparation

    the formal industry term used in contracts and planning permission

  • earthworks

    broader; covers large-scale moving of soil including for roads or dams, not just buildings

文法句型

the groundwork (on/for [a site])

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1: this physical-construction sense refers only to the early earth-moving and clearing stage of a real building project — not metaphorical preparation. Common in British building contracts and quotes.

常見錯誤

❌The architects did the groundwork of the building design.
✅The contractors did the groundwork before the architects' design was built.
💡this sense is the physical site work, not the planning.